Full Breakdown
New Mexico Man Charged with Murder After Enchilada-Spice Dispute Turns Deadly
8/31/2026, 8:23:53 AM
Fatal Shooting Details
Ervin Joaquin Gutierrez, 22, is accused of fatally shooting his 25-year-old cousin Nathaniel Cavazos inside an apartment complex in Albuquerque on the night of August 27. Police responded shortly before 11 p.m. to a walkway between two apartment buildings and found Cavazos unresponsive in a pool of blood. The arrest-warrant affidavit states Cavazos had been shot three or four times from the back while standing about ten yards from Gutierrez, who was unarmed at the time. A handgun belonging to Cavazos was later recovered near the body.
Timeline
- August 27 – Gutierrez and Cavazos, along with a third cousin, purchased groceries, prepared green enchiladas, and drank alcohol. An argument erupted over the relative spiciness of the enchiladas, leading to a fistfight in which Cavazos punched Gutierrez, leaving him bleeding.
- August 28 – Gutierrez was arrested, booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center, and is being held on an open count of murder.
Data & Statistics
- Ages: Gutierrez 22; Cavazos 25.
- Shots fired: three to four.
- Distance of gunfire: approximately ten yards (? 9 metres).
- Weapon: handgun identified as belonging to Cavazos.
Official Statements & Responses
Albuquerque police recorded the incident in an affidavit and noted that the victim was unarmed when shot. Investigators received a Snapchat message from Gutierrez after he fled the scene, in which he wrote, “Is he really dead?” The witness, a third cousin, provided a detailed account of the argument, the ensuing fight, and the shooting, and supplied the Snapchat screenshot to investigators.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I did not want to kill him but i didn’t want him to kill me.” — Investigators, the witness
